Export revenue from timber products in the first quarter of this year recorded RM1.28 billion, a 3% decrease from RM1.32 billion in the same period last year.
Minister of Urban Development and Natural Resources, Datuk Amar Tengah Ali Hasan said the decrease was due to a decline in supply of raw materials and uncertain global economic conditions.
“To keep abreast of the changes, the industry players would need to upgrade and retool their manufacturing facilities and re-skill their workers.
“This is inevitable for the industry to remain relevant and competitive on the global stage,” he said in his winding-up speech.
He said his ministry would focus on the development of value-added products using logs from industrial timber plantation to meet the global market needs.
He also added that the state government would review the current timber reserve quota to support the growth of the value-added industry.
According to him, the Timber Industry Transformation Plan and Forestry and Timber Industry Master Plan (2019- 2040) would facilitate the growth of strategic and sustainable growth of the downstream processing industry.
“The government also allows industrialists to import non-endemic wood species to add value to their products,” he said.
Also, as Minister of Industrial Development and Entrepreneurs, he said the Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation would continue to enhance promotional activities through international exhibitions and explore new markets.
Then as a Deputy Chief Minister, he told the state assembly that 634 million trees of various species were planted in 528,238 hectares of forest in Sarawak from 1996 to last year.
It included replanting of local tree species in degraded forests.
For this, the Sarawak Forestry Department had developed three nurseries in Sabal in Serian, Jalan Oya in Sibu and Niah in Miri.
